Ways to practice mindfulness

Racing thoughts can feel like an unavoidable part of daily life. Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean sitting still in silence with your legs crossed thinking of absolutely nothing. There are so many other ways to anchor yourself in the present and calm your busy mind.

Here are a few methods to try I have found to be most helpful with clients:

1. Colour Walk Take a slow walk, but with an added focus: choose one colour and try to see how much you can spot that colour on your walk. The intentional focus draws your awareness out of your head and into your senses, interrupting thought loops.

2. The Senses Shower Take a shower and really notice the temperature of the water, the smell of the shampoo or body wash, the sound of the water hitting the shower, engage all your senses as you take your next shower. This is the easiest one in my opinion to sneak into your day!

3. Cooking as a Meditation Chop, stir, season, and taste...but do it mindfully. Focus on the texture of the ingredients, the smell of spices, and the rhythm of preparation. The kitchen can become a surprisingly calming place when you're fully present. Maybe turn on some music to make it more enjoyable at the start.

4. Describe Your Day Like a Story Write a few paragraphs describing your day as if you were a character in a novel. This narrative distancing helps you step back from overwhelming thoughts while still acknowledging them creatively.

Mindfulness isn’t about having zero thoughts, it’s about not getting lost in them. Be patient, mindfulness is a practiced that takes time. To start, just set a timer each day for 5 minutes while you are doing any of the options listed above and let that 5 minutes be your mindfulness time. Soon enough, it will become your life :)